Insult and Apology
by Tempest2004
Summary: One-Shot, Song-Fic. The night after 'What will be was not..' Harper reflects on Rhade calling him 'Kludge' My first Song-Fic and my first Andromeda Fic. Please R


Set the night after 'What will be was not....', I figured Harper had to have been pretty hurt by the Kludge comment, so, this came to mind, while I was doing dishes, very wierd.

Disclaimer: I don't owen Andromeda, if I did T. Rhade would be mine and I don't own Cowboys Like us by George Strait. Tough luck, ladies and gents.

Harper sat alone in his bar, sipping on a beer, thinking about the day. The drunks had been chased out hours ago, everyone was home or on the Andromeda. Except for him. He was still brooding on the day. What hit him the hardest and the deepest was Rhade calling him 'Kludge', he had retaileated with 'Uber', but the comment still hurt. They'd teased each other, sure, but never with 'Kludge' and 'Uber'. Rhade had been drunk, lots of people say things they don't mean when they're drunk, but anyway you put it, it hurt. Virgil Vox came on the air after the song he had played was over. What he said was surprising.

"This next song goes out to Seamus Harper in the bar on Seefra-1. From you're good friend Telemachus Rhade as an apology for the insult from earlier this fine day. Cowboys Like Us, by George Strait."

_I take off time to time _

_With those crazy friends of mine _

_Head out on steel horses With wheels and we ride _

_We burn up that road To old Mexico _

_Blend in with the desert _

_Just we amigos_

_And we roll _

Harper blinked, now wait just one minute! Rhade was not one to apologize, well at least since they came to this hell hole! Harper had the sneaking suspicion that Beka was somehow involved with the apology.

_Cowboys like us Sure do have fun _

_Racing the wind _

_Chasing the sun _

_Take the long way around _

_Back to square one _

_Today we're just outlaws Out on the run _

_There'll be no regrets _

_No worries and such for Cowboys like us _

With a smile, Harper walked to the safe and pulled out the day's cash and began counting it. Rhade walked in, about the second verse.

_We talk about living Babies and women _

_All that we've lost _

_And all we've been given _

_We sing about true love _

_Lie about things we ain't done _

_We drink one more cold one _

_Come morning we get up _

_And we roll _

Rhade smiled and sat down at his usual table. Harper looked up at the right now sobering up Nietschean. Deep down inside him, beyond the brightest light, was a lingering fear of Nietscheans. Now Rhade had never once done anything to invoke it, but sometimes, he was a little scary, especially here on Seefra. Harper picked up the money and took it over towards the table, before he sat down, he looked closely at Rhade.

"Promise you won't take any?" he asked, in usual Harper fashion. The answering smile, was one he would have seen three years ago, a hopeful, cheerful smile.

"I can only promise what I will do, and not taking any of the money is one of them." he responded, that old sense of humor kicking in. And with the wince that comment was made with, It was kicking _really_ hard.

_Cowboys like us Sure do have fun _

_Racing the wind_

_Chasing the sun _

_Take the long way around _

_Back to square one _

_Today we're just outlaws _

_Out on the run _

_There'll be no regrets _

_No worries and such for Cowboys like us _

"Help me count?" Harper asked, pushing a pile over to Rhade, who smiled, took it and started to count it. It was the start of a nightly ritual, even through the withdrawl, Rhade came and every night the friendship and bond grew stronger.

_Cowboys like us Sure do have fun _

_Racing the wind_

_Chasing the sun _

_Take the long way around _

_Back to square one _

_Today we're just outlaws _

_Out on the run _

_There'll be no regrets _

_No worries and such for Cowboys like us _

_Cowboys like us_

Beka watched from the doorway, neither men saw her, she was in the shadows. Harper was more like a little brother than a friend and Rhade....Well, that was still up in the air. With a smile she watched as the once tenative, teasing friendship was repairing itself, her smile dropped and she sighed, silently. She only wished that her friendship with Harper could repair itself that quickly. Rhade chuckled suddenly. He turned and looked directly at her, then indicated with his head to join them.

"Come on, we won't bite. At least, I won't, I can't vouch for Tom Thumb over here." he said, jabbing a thumb at Harper, who bared his teeth at Rhade. Beka laughed and joined them. It was a crazy, tragic, sometimes almost magic, awful, beautiful life. Golden Trance giggled slightly, they were on their way to rebuilding, then she sobered slightly. It would be a very long road, but the first step is the hardest.

"Well, it's a start." she muttered and returned to her broadcast as Vigil Vox. Not very original, but she wasn't very imaginitive, but oh, well.

"Welcome to another night on this great place of ours..............................................

Fin.

Please R&R.


End file.
